Nicolas Caussin
Encyclopedia
Nicolas Caussin was a French
Jesuit, a theorist of the passions
. His treatise, The Holy Court Fourth Tome, was published in 1638. This work gives a Christianized account of what he calls the four principal passions: Love
, Desire, Anger
, and Envy
, as well as many variants and sub-genres of these types. The intent of the work is to instruct the proper means for controlling these affects.
Born in Troyes
, Caussin entered the Society of Jesus
in 1609, and became Louis XIII's confessor from March to December 1637. Reputed as a rigorous spiritual director who opposed, in the words of the Jansenist Antoine Arnauld
, "attrition
, arising from the fear of hell alone (...) as there could be no justification without love of God". Although the Catholic Encyclopedia
of 1913 claimed that this was not the cause of his disgrace with Cardinal Richelieu, who sent him in exile to Quimper, this cause has been recently re-asserted by Philippe Sellier and Gérard Ferreyrolles in their new edition of Pascal
's works.
He returned to Paris in 1643, following the death of Richelieu, and his reputation led him to be chosen to respond to the critical Théologie morale des Jésuites (Moral Theology of Jesuits), published by Arnauld, successively publishing in the second half of 1644 the Apologie pour les religieux de la Compagnie de Jésus, à la reine régente and the Réponse au libelle intitulé La Théologie morale des Jésuites. Due to his rigorism and to the formulations in those books justifying the "relaxed moral" concerning confession
, the public generally considered that he had written against his thought by fidelity to his jesuit order.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Jesuit, a theorist of the passions
Passion (emotion)
Passion is a term applied to a very strong feeling about a person or thing. Passion is an intense emotion compelling feeling, enthusiasm, or desire for something....
. His treatise, The Holy Court Fourth Tome, was published in 1638. This work gives a Christianized account of what he calls the four principal passions: Love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
, Desire, Anger
Anger
Anger is an automatic response to ill treatment. It is the way a person indicates he or she will not tolerate certain types of behaviour. It is a feedback mechanism in which an unpleasant stimulus is met with an unpleasant response....
, and Envy
Envy
Envy is best defined as a resentful emotion that "occurs when a person lacks another's superior quality, achievement, or possession and either desires it or wishes that the other lacked it."...
, as well as many variants and sub-genres of these types. The intent of the work is to instruct the proper means for controlling these affects.
Born in Troyes
Troyes
Troyes is a commune and the capital of the Aube department in north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about southeast of Paris. Many half-timbered houses survive in the old town...
, Caussin entered the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
in 1609, and became Louis XIII's confessor from March to December 1637. Reputed as a rigorous spiritual director who opposed, in the words of the Jansenist Antoine Arnauld
Antoine Arnauld
Antoine Arnauld — le Grand as contemporaries called him, to distinguish him from his father — was a French Roman Catholic theologian, philosopher, and mathematician...
, "attrition
Imperfect contrition
Imperfect contrition in Catholic theology is a desire not to sin for a reason other than love of God. Imperfect contrition is contrasted with perfect contrition....
, arising from the fear of hell alone (...) as there could be no justification without love of God". Although the Catholic Encyclopedia
Catholic Encyclopedia
The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia and the Original Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index...
of 1913 claimed that this was not the cause of his disgrace with Cardinal Richelieu, who sent him in exile to Quimper, this cause has been recently re-asserted by Philippe Sellier and Gérard Ferreyrolles in their new edition of Pascal
Blaise Pascal
Blaise Pascal , was a French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer and Catholic philosopher. He was a child prodigy who was educated by his father, a tax collector in Rouen...
's works.
He returned to Paris in 1643, following the death of Richelieu, and his reputation led him to be chosen to respond to the critical Théologie morale des Jésuites (Moral Theology of Jesuits), published by Arnauld, successively publishing in the second half of 1644 the Apologie pour les religieux de la Compagnie de Jésus, à la reine régente and the Réponse au libelle intitulé La Théologie morale des Jésuites. Due to his rigorism and to the formulations in those books justifying the "relaxed moral" concerning confession
Confession
This article is for the religious practice of confessing one's sins.Confession is the acknowledgment of sin or wrongs...
, the public generally considered that he had written against his thought by fidelity to his jesuit order.
Works
- La Cour saincte
- De Eloquentia sacra et humana
- Tragœdiae sacrae, 1620.
- Apologie pour les religieux de la Compagnie de Jésus, à la reine régente, 1644.
- Réponse au libelle intitulé La Théologie morale des Jésuites, 1644.
See also
- For a comparable contemporary analysis of the passions that is relatively secular in orientation, see the Passions of the SoulPassions of the SoulIn the treatise Passions of the Soul , the last of Descartes' published work, completed in 1649 and dedicated to Princess Elizabeth of Bohemia, the author contributes to a long tradition of theorizing "the passions." The passions were experiences often equated with or labeled as precursors to what...
by the philosopher René DescartesRené DescartesRené Descartes ; was a French philosopher and writer who spent most of his adult life in the Dutch Republic. He has been dubbed the 'Father of Modern Philosophy', and much subsequent Western philosophy is a response to his writings, which are studied closely to this day...